Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Steel — Silver Grande Tapisserie Chronograph | Ref. 26240ST.OO.1320ST.07

The Royal Oak Chronograph 26240ST represents the most commercially significant reinvention of the integrated-bracelet sports watch since Genta's original 1972 design. This steel-cased 41 mm reference, introduced as part of the landmark 50th Anniversary collection, features a newly developed case architecture with slimmer proportions, a redesigned dial and the architecture-defining refinement of an in-house flyback chronograph movement — the Calibre 4401.

Cal. 4401 is a column-wheel flyback chronograph with vertical clutch, beating at 4 Hz (28,800 vph) with a 70-hour power reserve. Its development required over a decade of in-house engineering and represents Audemars Piguet's definitive answer to the question of what a Royal Oak chronograph movement should be. The silver Grande Tapisserie dial — its hobnail guilloché refreshed with crisper faceting for this generation — presents chronograph sub-registers at 12, 9 and 6 o'clock with a date at 3, all rendered in AP's characteristic understated legibility with luminous hands.

The fully integrated steel bracelet with AP folding clasp and exhibition sapphire caseback complete a specification that is, by any objective measure, the most comprehensively realised Royal Oak Chronograph ever produced. Presented with box and papers, this 26240ST in silver is the reference that re-established Audemars Piguet's pre-eminence in the integrated-bracelet chronograph category and commands immediate attention from collectors who prize horological significance alongside everyday wearability.